The Tamesis
Kenneth Ize’s Fall 2026 collection didn’t need a mood board because the collection was an entire emotion in itself, and that emotion was joy. This was evident from the moment the clothes appeared. More chic than chic, elegantly lean tailoring that was sometimes deconstructed or a study in contrasting front and back, Ize once again made clever use of the traditional Nigerian woven fabric aso oke, all in the sparkling, vibrant colors that he has long incorporated into his garments.
Ize, who is hosting his first fashion show in Berlin after some time off (more on that later), sees this new collection as a way to bring together all the people he loves. The brand may bear his name, but it was the presence of friends and collaborators like photographer James Tennessee Briandt, New York hat maker Rodney Patterson of Esenshel, stylist KK Obi, leather recycling company founder Giovanni Mareschi, casting director Affa Osman, modeling agency owner Jd Ankomah and Mumi Haiati of PR agency Reference Studios that made it all possible. It is them, rather than a collection of aesthetic reference points, that Ize wants to name.
“I kept thinking, ‘What’s the reason for doing a collection again?'” Ize said backstage before the show. “It’s all about the people and the joy I get from working with them. There’s a lot going on in the world right now,” he continued, “Sudan, the war in Palestine… I thought, if I did a collection, I would have a theme of unity.” That’s why he asked Patterson to contribute a Mad Hatter-esque top hat, which added a delightfully anachronistic vibe to the look, while casting was done by Antwerp-based Ankomah’s Rapture Management agency. The entire production was a family affair.
Given his desire to combine the inner emotion of his clothing creations with their appearance, Ize deconstructed his tailoring: a pair of pants might have the pockets turned upside down, so they were inside out, or it might look like the model was wearing shorts over regular-length trousers (a weird new thing in Berlin, but kind of cool). Elsewhere, a jacket’s normally hidden internal seams may be exposed, while the shoulders of a trench coat are cut away to expose its structure. It’s an ongoing conversation about uncovering what might be hidden, and amplifying it all are those wonderful Aso Ok textiles, an expression of the uplifting power of craft and community.
Eze is also considering how to express his work in different mediums: through words and through the power of description and analysis. The reason for this – and the reason for the sabbatical – was that Izzy had been enrolled in a doctoral program since 2014 at a school in his native Vienna, where he was studying for a doctorate in philosophy with a particular interest in the African diaspora in Europe and the United States. “It’s important for young creatives, whether designers or artists, to be able to think and write about why they do what they do. I took a short break with the brand and thought, I want to get into this.” Ize says he still has about two years to finish his PhD, and one thing he can say for sure: He won’t be changing his brand name to Dr. Kenneth Ize.
